Photo: MEC
Saeed Naser al Romalthi’s 7-year-old gelding Force Freeze worked a
strong half-mile in :47 2/5 from the gate Sunday morning at Gulfstream
Park in preparation for his role as the likely favorite and horse to
beat in Saturday’s $150,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (G2) at
seven furlongs.
“That (work) put the finishing touches on him and we just have to keep
him happy up to the race,” said Walder later in the morning. “My only
concern is the distance, particularly coming off the layoff. Seven
furlongs is a tricky distance. I think he can run with any horse in the
country at six furlongs. Paco (Lopez) is confident that the distance
will be no problem. I’m excited to get him started back.”
Force Freeze launches a new campaign after a very game runner-up effort
in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs on
Nov. 5 when ridden by John Velazquez and beaten a neck by Amazombie,
later voted Eclipse champion sprinter for the season.
A Kentucky-bred by Forest Camp, Force Freeze raced in Dubai during the
2010 season and through March last year before being sent to Walder at
Monmouth Park early last summer. In two starts before the Breeders’ Cup
he won the Teddy Drone Stakes at Monmouth by four lengths and finished
second by a half-length in the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on
Oct. 1, both times ridden by Lopez.